Firestorm ignites debate

In addition to burning more than 1,000 homes and hundreds of thousands of wildland, the Southern California firestorm of 2007 has reignited an ongoing debate about fire policy. The issue is beginning to appear in the press, with UC scientists providing much of the expertise and opinions.

Salon.com ran an article titled "A burning question" which quoted UC Riverside fire ecologist Richard Minnich, UC Berkeley wildland fire specialist Max Moritz, and UC Davis plant ecologist Michael Barbour. Minnich said he believes California's fire suppression policy in the last 100 years is behind the tremendous devastation of recent fires.

"Fire is the primary way that we decompose organic material in California. Growth and decomposition must be equal over time. We're trying to get rid of one-half of the equation," he is quoted in the article.

Barbour also said attempts to stop fires encourage massive blazes.

"We're very good at putting out fires in good weather, but not in the worst weather," says Minnich. "By suppressing little fires, we select for the big fires to occur in the worst weather.

However, a biologist who is also trained as a firefighter says fires must be put out. "The reason that they put fires out is that they kill people," he is quoted.

Minnich blamed the fire on the weather and dry summer. "The Santa Anas themselves are one of the worst fire weather types in the whole world," Minnich was quoted.

The high interest in the debate is illustrated by the number of responses to the article. It generated 55 letters and 15 blog reactions.

In terms ongoing fire coverage, newspapers continue to run stories on wildfire losses, including an article in today's San Diego Union Tribune about the effects of the blazes on agriculture. UCCE advisor Gary Bender commented on the fact that the fire losses come on the heels of a devastating freeze last January and precede a 30 percent cut in irrigation water that takes effect this January.

“I've got people saying 'Hey, are we going to be able to continue to produce avocados in this county?'” he is quoted.

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